Arthur Abraham faces Andre Dirrell this Saturday in the second stage of Showtime’s Super Six World Boxing Classic. The fight will take place in Dirrell’s home state of Michigan. Coverage of the fight can be seen on Showtime starting at 10:30 pm ET. This will be a free preview weekend on Showtime so non-subscribers will still be able to see the action. Arthur Abraham currently leads the Super Six with three points while Dirrell is at the back of the pack with zero points.
Arthur Abraham vs. Andre Dirrell
Abraham -200; Dirrell +160
Arthur Abraham, 31-0 (25 KOs), held the IBF Middleweight title for nearly four years before he accepted the invitation to join the Super Six. The Armenian-born pugilist continued his undefeated run when he moved to the Super Middleweight division and knocked out Jermain Taylor in the final seconds of their 2009 bout. That stoppage victory netted Abraham three points in the first stage of the Super Six tournament and sole possession of the top spot on the leaderboard. Abraham is a strong fighter in the prime of his career with tons of heart. Another knockout victory is assuredly in the gameplan for King Arthur, as he travels into enemy territory when he takes on the younger Andre Dirrell in Dirrell’s home state.
Andre Dirrell, 18-1 (13 KOs), touts an impressive amateur record that is highlighted by a Bronze medal in the 2004 Olympics. His first professional loss came in his last fight when he dropped a split decision to Carl Froch in the opening stage of the Super Six tournament. Dirrell’s camp felt slighted by the ruling but in the end, Dirrell just didn’t do enough to win the fight. From fighting on Froch’s home turf to now fighting on his own home turf, Andre Dirrell should be much more comfortable in the ring. He made himself hard to hit against Froch and elected to be the counterpuncher. It will be interesting to see how his gameplan changes for the slow-starting Abraham this Saturday.
Staff Predictions
Bryan: Abraham vs. Dirrell should be a close, tough fight. Expect Dirrell to come out fast and motivated after receiving his first loss. He knows he could have defeated Froch, and did, in the eyes of some. He will have that confidence coming into this fight. Abraham will be a stern test for him, though. If he loses his poise like he did against Froch he will probably get his lights turned out. Expect Dirrell to get off to a fast start, and Abraham to come on late. I expect Abraham to score a late knockdown en route to a close decision win.
Trent: Andre Dirrell has what it takes to give Arthur Abraham his first loss and he’s going to do just that on Saturday. Dirrell is hungry (a loss would present a severe risk of elimination for Dirrell) and fighting in front of his fans will spur Dirrell on and keep him focused in the late rounds. Abraham is the current leader fighting a man coming off of a loss. Prime spot for overconfidence leading to an upset. Dirrell will prove to be a tough target for Abraham to hit, but the slower-footed Abraham will be open season for Dirrell. Dirrell has no chance of knocking Abraham out so winning rounds will be paramount. Don’t expect Dirrell to let up as he did against Froch, save for a 12th round victory lap. Dirrell 117-111.
Corey: This is a perfect example of the amateur style vs. the professional style. And this fight will demonstrate why not all flashy amateurs survive in the professional ranks. Arthur Abraham sits in a defensive shell the first third of his fights. In amateur boxing, that generally translates to a points loss. Andre Dirrell, on the other hand, likes to keep his hands moving as well as his feet – a style that lends itself well to the amateurs. He defines hitting and running, and, had he done more hitting than running last time out, he would have gotten a wide decision over Carl Froch. But Dirrell also tired badly in that fight despite not being hit clean much. Unless he’s somehow found a way to increase his stamina in the past six months, then he’s going to fall apart under Abraham’s late rounds push. In the professional ranks, power matters, and Abraham has more than anyone in the tournament. With a possible knockdown to his credit, Abraham pours it on down the stretch and wins a close but unanimous decision.
Paul: I think Abraham is overrated, and I will continue saying so until he beats someone who actually has a solid chance of beating him. His biggest wins to date have come against Edison Miranda and a shot Jermain Taylor. That’s not saying much for a fighter who had sported a world title for a long time. Dirrell has the tools to beat Abraham, but does he have the drive and can he fight the temptation to get on his bicycle? He was a class well above Carl Froch when they fought, but he gave the fight away by not being active enough. Expect Dirrell to grow up a bit and actually fight. He won’t put on an offensive masterpiece, but he’ll do more than enough to win a solid decision against an opponent who only fights 10 to 15 seconds per round. Dirrell via comfortable UD.
